"Krone" meets Cuche

“I hope Austria brings excitement back!”

Didier Cuche has celebrated great successes in Kitzbühel.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Didier Cuche has celebrated great success on the world's ski slopes and can still call himself the record winner in Kitzbühel. The skiing legend spoke to "Sportkrone.at" about the "Streif myth", the competition between Austria and Switzerland, comebacks, the upcoming World Ski Championships and his passion for skiing. 

"Kronesport": Not always easy for Austria to digest, but at the moment the Swiss men's skiers are usually setting the tone. First and foremost Marco Odermatt. But other teammates have long since grown up in his shadow. Where does this current dominance come from?
Didier Cuche: I think the team has developed over the years. And a very positive dynamic has developed around Marco Odermatt. In training, he is constantly a benchmark against which the others and especially young skiers can grow. Of course, racing against Odermatt also gives you a boost. On the other hand, he also takes a lot of pressure off the team with his successes. He is certainly a driving force behind the current dominance. 

Marco Odermatt

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

In contrast, Austria is currently unable to build on its great successes. Why should the Swiss always be on their guard? 
 Yes, there aren't currently the big successes that we are perhaps used to. But Austria still has very good athletes. You always have to expect them to be able to win races. They have proven often enough that they have what it takes.

There is always pressure on the athletes from the media and the fans, especially with regard to the competition between Austria and Switzerland. How did you experience that?
It's always a big deal, especially in the media. When I was active at the beginning, I experienced a time when we Swiss were going through a difficult phase. We weren't always treated fairly by our media. Of course, everyone else always knows better than you what you need to do to be successful. But to a certain extent, sport thrives on certain battles, duels and battles between nations. But other nations have long since joined in. It's become broader, but it's good for the sport if the rivalry between Austria and Switzerland is maintained. And I hope that Austria will bring back a bit of excitement. If not this year, then in the next few years.

Will Vincent Kriechmayr be fit in time to represent Austria at the World Championships?

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Was your relationship with the ÖSV athletes also shaped by this competition?
The situation between the athletes themselves is probably less charged. Basically, we were all very good and friendly with each other. I liked a lot of the Austrians very, very much and had a good and fun time with them. But as we were hardly ever in the same hotel, we only really saw each other at the start number draw and on certain occasions. Of course you got on better with one person than the other. But that's how it always is in life. 

Special classics are coming up in the World Cup in January. You have particularly fond memories of Kitzbühel. What makes the "Streif myth" for you?
Simply the whole history associated with these races. Legends have already been broken there. On the other hand, many a success has been founded there. The route is always a balancing act. Right and wrong decisions are extremely close to each other here. A mistake here can be extremely painful. You can see what a fall in Kitzbühel can do with Daniel Albrecht or Hans Grugger, for example. Some skiers perhaps consciously dose more on the Streif. But if you want to win, you have to go to the limit and push the boundaries. Unfortunately, there is never a guarantee that you will reach the finish in one piece.

You just mentioned the risk of crashes. Cyprien Sarrazin, for example, had a bad crash in Bormio recently. But he's far from the only one at the moment. Is the risk in skiing getting bigger and bigger or has it simply always been part of the sport?
You would have to take a closer look to see whether it has become riskier. But in any case, the level in the field of skiers has moved closer together. You really notice it in the technical disciplines. When the snow is right, everyone is extremely close together. That shows how high the level is. But that also means that the racers will probably have to push themselves to the limit even more when it comes to speed. But the factors of bad luck and fatality always play an important role. It happens so quickly, even if you don't necessarily take a 100 percent risk, that you get snowed under or miss a hill. Too much pressure, too little pressure and then it happens. And it happens in a fraction of a second. That means you can't really influence it at times. 

Hirscher and Vonn are back in the World Cup. How do you see this current trend towards big comebacks?
We'll have to take a closer look at Lindsey Vonn. She's currently in great shape and stable. I don't think she's pushing herself to the limit like she used to because she knows exactly how stupid it would be to seriously injure herself by taking too many risks. So the risk of returning to the world after five years without skiing is certainly no less great if something goes wrong than if you're full and on. But that's everyone's own, and you should accept that if you want to try it again. And you've spoken before, after your career ended.

You once hinted that one or two more years would have been possible for you too. How do you look back on your career now?
As I said, it probably would have gone on for a few more years, but who knows what would have happened in those two years. Maybe I would have been caught out too, with serious consequences and injuries. And yet I look back with a bit of melancholy. You just realize how great the time as an active athlete was. While you're racing in the World Cup, you naturally also feel a huge burden. Appointment after appointment, the calendar is always full and yet it's a wonderful experience. Maybe it's this longing that is also the driving force behind the comebacks. I'm 50 now, let's see what happens over the winter (laughs). Joking aside, it was a wonderful experience in my life.

Didier Cuche bid an iconic farewell to the Ski World Cup in Schladming.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

How did your life change after your skiing career? 
 It was a big change, of course. But I was busy, with lots of collaborations. But I was also involved in junior skiing. I am president of the regional association for my region of Jura. I've been on the board since 2009, but now I've been president for two years. It's fun to play a part, a very small part, in shaping the basis and future successes of young people.

What advice do you have for young skiers?
Above all, it's about passion and fun. That's the only way to get ahead. Skiing is a great school of life, a great and formative experience. Sure, it can be tough, but it can also work out with a professional career. But nobody should take this path because they are looking for fame. You should never lose your passion for the sport and the adrenaline you get from competing and trying to be the best. Such motivations are healthy. But I would say that young people who want to go down this path should do it and see it as an opportunity. Even if it doesn't work out with the big breakthrough, you can take a lot with you for life.

And one last question. The World Ski Championships in Saalbach are coming up. Do you believe in a Swiss festival in Austria? And who has the potential to be the superstar of the World Championships?
I think a world championship is always a bit special. But the dominator of the World Cup always has a say. So you can always count on Marco Odermatt. However, there have always been surprises, new names that have triumphed. I wouldn't dare to predict whether this will be a medal festival for Switzerland. But you will certainly see red-white-red on the podium, whether it will be a cross or a white stripe several times, we'll see. But there will certainly be some crosses.